JoeSchmoe

If we stay the course, the team won't be realistically cup contending for another 3 years. What's Patrick Kane look like then? Worse yet, if we trade the future for Patrick Kane, the team loses the very assets that gets them to cup contention in 3 years. The reality check is this only a thing because he's from Buffalo. Hopefully some team that's in cup contention for next year trades for him sooner or later to put the speculation to rest... Then Buffalo can MAYBE get him on a hometown discount UFA contract the year after.

His stat sheet from this year looks quite a bit better than Rosen and he's a year younger. Plus, going by memory he's about 10lb bigger than Rosen was last year. Still we got him at 16 vs 13 for Rosen. Comparisons to last year's bad pic aside, he's by no means a sure-fire player in the league... but it looks like a good calculated gamble.

Trying to think this through, and I think I'm pretty good at not getting too excited about any one draft pick... There's too many unknowns. On the other hand, I often get really excited about our young prospects after short sample sizes. I thought "The Twin Tylers" Myers/Ennis were going to lead this franchise back to cup contention. But they didn't.

My opinion on mock drafts runs deeper in the NFL than the NHL but...

All these predictions are based on a player playing 90%+ games: Tage 45g Skinner 35g Oloffson 40g Tuch 70pt Cozens 55pt Mitts 55pt Okie 50pt Quinn 25g JJ 40pt Krebs 35pt Dahlin 70pt Power 50pt Samuelson Top Pairing Shutdown Despite breakout years for all of the above, Sabres still miss playoffs because Adams fails to find replacement level goaltending.

Come on... Get in the spirit of the BOLD predictions. Make it 60-70 and we're talking.

I don't feel the same affection for Z. He works really hard I like, but he really lacks the hockey sense to finish plays. To me, he's a symbol of the many years of futility for the Sabres. I'd be happier if they traded him for whatever picks they could get so they could free up roster space for a UFA. Also, Okposo could then get the C to himself which he probably deserved in the first place.

I'm not going to shoot the messenger, but that article had little to no substance to it.

From what you're hearing, is it this year via trade, next year via UFA, or too vague to know at this point?

Keep VO (and all other assets), and sign him next year if he really wants to be a Sabre. If Kane wasn't from Buffalo, this thread would not exist, because it makes so little sense.

Even if he gets traded, it'd be as a rental. He could sign his Buffalo friendly UFA contract after that, if that's really what he wants.

Understandably, people want to bring the hometown boy back to Buffalo. But if you take the emotions out of it, it doesn't make sense to give up any picks, prospects, or young talent to acquire an aging vet. If he really wants to play in Buffalo, let him sign in another year as a UFA with a large hometown discount.

I'm done talking about the Bishop signing, but I thought it'd be worth mentioning I hope they sign Hinostroza as well. I liked him quite a bit last year and I think he could help the team.

There should have been a multiple choice option. Fleury and Letang would have been my choice.

I'm not damaged, usually I'm the optimist. But with what I had hoped the team will do this offseason, this move would have been completely unnecessary. That's why I'm disappointed. (I also don't believe the team would spend $700k real cash for a 7th round pick)

Truly, eh? Sounds like Sabrespace' arbiter of truth has ruled against me. God forbid our GM expressing interest in signing some veteren leadership to high price, short term deals. Why would we want to win games next year or two and mentor our young team... All the while not getting caught up with any tampering violations. My mistake.

We have the cap room for the next couple of years for the two, they'd help the team, and they could mentor our young D and G core.

Can Adams go on record now, prior to the opening of free agency and openly say that he's looking to pay well above market rates for a veteran right-handed defenseman and a veteran goalie? It would be nice if he could say without saying it that he wants Letang and MAF and those two could make plans together to both reunite in Buffalo.

True, but if what you're saying is right and they are going to spend to the cap floor anyways using traditional means (by signing players that will play)... THEN, the deal could only have been made to pay the reported $700k for a 7th rounder. I have a hard time believing they would do that.

They still need to sign Olofsson and Bryson. That will get them close enough to the floor to cheap out on a goalie and right-handed defenseman. Again I hope I'm wrong and you can throw it in my face if I am. I'll actually enjoy it because that will mean the team might actually be good.

Again, the optimism is awesome and I hope you come away right about all this, but you're operating under the assumption they're willing to spend money this offseason. I'm operating under the assumption they're going on the cheap again this year and this move was the first to get to the floor and stay there. Meanwhile, with average or better NHL goaltending and a solid RHD pickup, I feel like they'll be playing for a playoff spot (now how's that for optimism!).

As I said... I'd have preferred they kept the cap room and add it the Brinks truck we're giving Fleury.

I hope you're right and good on you for the optimism. But my take is that if last year's goalie signings tell us anything, costs are going to be priority #1. With that, I strongly feel they'll get to the floor and stop there.

Sending Bjork to the minors is absolutely a good move. Sending Bjork to clean the washrooms on the 300 level is even better.